TPT May 2012

I nspectIon & T esTing Redefining ultrasonic field inspections INSPECTECH Analygas Group, Canada, has manufactured customised NDT solutions for the tube and pipe industries for more than 30 years. The company is always exploring new technologies and innovative ways to meet customers’ ever-evolving NDT requirements. Recently, a portable ultrasonic “crab” inspection system was manufactured and commissioned for Tejas Tubular Products Inc’s casing facility in Houston Texas. The crab was made to inspect the weld-lines of finished tubes used for oilfield casings and line pipes, inspecting to API-5L and API-5CT standards. InspecTech’s UT crabs were developed from the success of the on- line inspection predecessors, not from common and limited hand-held UT devices. These crabs operate with the same ultrasonic principles as InspecTech’s online inspection units, utilising focused transducers designed specifically for inspecting tube and pipe in a water column effect. The electronic cabinet and coupling liquid tank are connected to the crab via a 100ft services umbilical. The crab also comes with audible and visual alarms to notify the operator of detected anomalies in the OD and ID locations independently. InspecTech Analygas Group Inc – Canada

Email: sales@inspectech.ca Website: www.inspectech.ca

Ultrasonic inspection

PAN American manufactures the ultrasonic IRIS tool, which was developed by Shell Research to inspect air fin cooler tubes for corrosion. The system accurately measures wall thickness from inside the tube or pipe, identifying changes in the inside and outside wall, dents and similar features. The instrument was rapidly expanded to cover most heat exchanger and boiler tubes found in the petro- chemical and paper industries. It is commonly used in tubes ranging from 10 to 75mm diameter and can measure wall thickness in ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Recently, the tool’s inspection range and applications have been significantly expanded. Vertical downhole pipes as well as cased (pipe in pipe) applications up to 400mm diameter and depths of 700m are now being inspected. Inspections in horizontal pipe with diameters up to 1,200mm are performed in pipelines up to 5km long.

Pan American Industries – USA Email: jimyukes@panamiris.com Website: www.panamiris.com

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M ay 2012